PM Rama writes to EU leaders about success in fight against cannabis cultivation

20/11/2017 17:53

The Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, wrote a letter to the EU leaders to inform them about the progress reached by Albania in the fight against drug traffic and organized crime.

“We have taken our responsibilities one step further. Our government has approved ambitious plans to fight organized crime. We have warned gang leaders wherever they may hide that we will find them, arrest them and prosecute them, trusting that our newly reformed justice system will take them to prison. We are going to confiscate their illegal assets. The criminal culture that Albanian people have had to endure is now coming to an end. We are in the process of rebuilding the national infrastructure for the rule of law, established specifically to eradicate this wound of our society and to prevent infection of future generations”, Rama writes.

The Prime Minister informs his European colleagues that since the fall of the communist regime, the cannabis cultivation has been seen as the easiest method to survive the chaos and hard transition period, but also as a profitable enterprising.

“After this, police, prosecutors and judges could be easily bought. They had support among the highest levels of the government. Gang leaders were enjoying local admiration and prestige”, Rama wrote, explaining the situation of that time.

Mentioning the report of the Italian “Guardia Di Finanza”, which says that during this year Albania has discovered 88 drug plantations, 150 times less than one year ago, Rama says that Albania cannot be called any longer the European capital of cannabis.

“The cannabis industry is dying in Albania and our aim is to halt it completely, by the end of this year”, Rama said.

While Albanians expect next Spring the decision of the EU about opening the accession negotiations, Rama hopes that there will be support for the path towards the European family.